The Quest of Nike
by Princess Emmaleigh
Summary: Emmaleigh isn't normal, even by demigod standards. But when Nike, best friend of her mom, accuses her half-sibling and friend, Annabeth, of stealing one of her most prized possessions, she has to take action. Takes place post-Titan War and pre-Giant war, but before Percy leaves Camp Half-Blood. Rated T for upcoming violence. Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

Emmaleigh rushed to the door, throwing it open just before Tori could knock. "Hey girl, come on in!"

Tori smiled and hugged her friend, "It's so weird how you do that, ya know."

"I'm magical, duh." Emmaleigh rolled her eyes and led Tori into the kitchen. She grabbed the cookies her adopted mom, Kiley, had left out for them. Tori grabbed the ice-cold pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and they walked out onto the back porch.

Emmaleigh set the plate on the picnic table and slid into the hot tub, Tori right behind her. Emmaleigh couldn't stand the regular pool, she didn't like water that much, or the cold. One year at camp, Emmaleigh's cabin ran out of warm water. Emmaleigh reluctantly got into the shower, but when she turned it on and the cold water enveloped her, she lost the ability to inhale or exhale. Her knees had buckled and she blacked out. She woke up ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel on her bed, her counselor staring down at her. Emmaleigh vowed never to shower in cold water again.

Tori and Emmaleigh's talked for around twenty minutes, nibbling cookies and sipping plastic cups of lemonade. Finally, Tori got out, announcing she had to pee. Emmaleigh laughed at the girl's funny bluntness and got out too. She wiped herself down quickly and took a seat at the picnic table.

Ten seconds later, something in the bushes rustled. Narrowing her eyes, Emmaleigh stood up. Strange, yellow eyes peered back at her, flecked with black and green.

For four years, strange mutant creatures had attacked her. Everything from monstrous snakes to hellish Spiders. They were like things from story books, dissolving into a pile of gold dust when they were destroyed. She never told anyone about it, they would call her crazy. So she kept her battles secret.

Emmaleigh ran to their shed and thrust open the door. She climbed onto the table and reached up to the top shelf. Layered in a thin sheen of dust was her dagger.

Emmaleigh couldn't explain why, but she'd always had it. It was a mysterious thing, dull bronze with inscriptions she couldn't quite decipher. She never tried to get rid of it, but once she had left it behind at her foster parent's house, and it has reappeared in her purse at the new one.

Emmaleigh exhaled in frustration as she heard Tori come out. Cursing the lack of pockets in her swimsuit, she dropped it on the ground and went back out.

"Tori," She moaned, "I don't feel so great." She launched herself at the trash can and forced up her lunch. She heard Tori gasp.

"I'll get Kiley, she's in her office right?" Tori squeaked. Emmaleigh gave a groan that meant yes. Tori scurried away. Emmaleigh smiled to herself, both Tori and Kiley were germaphobes. They would keep their distance.

"I'm going to take Tori home, okay?" She heard Kiley say. In response, Emmaleigh heaved up her breakfast too. She heard Kiley make a noise and the front door closing.

Emmaleigh dashed for the shed and scooped up her dagger, just as low snarl reached her ears. She whirled around just as an animal pounced onto the patio.

It was like a huge dog. It was about the size of a Harley, with rippling muscles and long teeth. It's fur was an ugly mud-brown. The hell-dog sprung at her.

Crying out in surprise, she rolled away. The hell-dog landed heavily behind her. Emmaleigh's reflexes kicked in, she spun around and sent her knife soaring end-over-end at it. It lodged between the beast's shoulder blades. It gave a small whimper and dissolved into dust. Shaking, Emmaleigh picked up her dagger.

"So, you're one of us."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Her New Identit**y

The speaker was a boy, he had sharp facial features and a mysterious glint in his chocolate eyes. He was just a bit taller than Emmaleigh, which wasn't that much of an accomplishment. He had messy brown curls and dimples when he smiled. He wore an orange t-shirt that read 'Camp Half-Blood' and faded jeans.

"Conner Stoll," He said, holding out his hand. Emmaleigh eyed it, but didn't shake it. She stifled a scream as someone landed next to him, having jumped from a tree.

This one was a girl, her eyes were gray, making Emmaleigh think of ashes, and she had blonde curls. Like Conner, she wore an orange shirt and light jeans. There was a fierceness to her that Emmaleigh admired.

"I'm Annabeth Chase." She gave a nod. "Nice bit of acting you did, and fighting." She said the last part a little reluctantly.

"What are you doing in my yard?" Emmaleigh demanded.

"Ooh cookies!" Conner exclaimed, scrambling up to the plate. He grabbed five and inhaled the first two in a matter of seconds. Annabeth sighed.

"We're here to explain what's been happening to you. I expect things like that have been coming around for a while, and your dagger was the only thing that could kill it." Emmaleigh nodded vigorously. "They're monsters, from Greek mythology. And you, Emmaleigh, are a demigod."

"A what? And how do you know my name?"

"One of your parents was a god, like Zeus, Athena, et cetera. Monsters are pretty much evil, they track demigod scents, and try to kill us. And we know you, because we've been keeping tabs on you." Her gaze slid to Conner who had begun to loudly guzzle lemonade. "You've given off the strongest aura we've ever, well, felt I guess. Or at least according to the satyrs."

"Satyrs."

"Yeah, but the point is, now that you know who you are, monsters will be able to find you better. You need to come with us, to a place called Camp Half-Blood. There, we will train you on how to survive and live a normal life against them."

The strangest thing was, was that Emmaleigh believed her. And when Annabeth had said 'live a normal life' she breathed an inward sigh of relief. That's all she wanted, to be normal.

"You need to come with us," said Annabeth. Emmaleigh frowned.

"Wait, I need to change...and pack a bag if we're going to camp." Without waiting for a reply, she rushed indoors.

Emmaleigh switched her swimsuit for jean shorts, tall black boots, a white tank top, and her signature leather jacket. She threw a couple outfits into a bag, along with her make-up bag. She ran down the stairs to meet Annabeth and Conner in the driveway. Parked on it was a dark black Mercedes.

"Shot gun!" Conner announced, jumping into the car. Emmaleigh slipped into the back while Annabeth got in the driver's seat.

Emmaleigh never had a scarier car ride. Annabeth had obviously NOT taken Driver's ED.

Eventually, they squealed to a halt in front of a strawberry field. "Where are we?"

"New York," Annabeth replied.

"How did we get all the way from Indiana to New Y-...you know what, never mind."

Annabeth and Conner led her up the hill to a blue house, and suddenly everything around them changed. The field turned into a forest. They passed quickly through the house, and on the other side...Emmaleigh gasped. Annabeth explained everything to her.

"You're thirteen, right?" Annabeth asked when they'd finished the tour.

"Fifteen," Emmaleigh grumbled. Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"Then you'll probably be claimed by tonight."

"Claimed by my godly parent?" Annabeth nodded in confirmation.

"Come on," She said, "The first rule for demigods: Always carry a weapon. We'll find you one in our weapon...shed." Emmaleigh didn't comment, but followed Annabeth to their 'weapon shed'.

"So, who's your godly parent?" She asked, as they made their way down the hill.

"Athena," She replied, "Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy."

"Hm...I like the sound of her," said Emmaleigh. Annabeth abruptly stopped. Sure enough, in front of them was a shed. Annabeth opened the door and pulled a cord, casting a dim light around the room.

"Alright, let's see..." Annabeth mumbled, rummaging through the weapon racks. "Here's a sheathe, for your dagger." Emmaleigh caught it, it was silver with small black designs, it fit perfectly with her dagger. She strapped it around her waist.

Minutes later, she heard Annabeth say, "Handgun?" holding up a flashy pistol.

Emmaleigh shook her head, "No thanks. I've never liked guns."

Annabeth showed her weapon after weapon after weapon, but none of them felt right to Emmaleigh. The bows felt too large, all the swords felt unbalanced, the knives didn't fit in her hand, guns weren't really her style, and she would die before she was seen with an axe or club.

"Maybe all you need is a dagger, like me." She said in defeat.

"I think so."

"C'mon, you should meet our camp director, Mr. D. He's quite interesting." Emmaleigh was curious about him, by the way Annabeth had said interesting.

Connor was outside when they exited. "Geez, that took you forever. It's almost 3 o'clock!"

"We're going to go see Mr. D and Chiron," explained Annabeth.

"I'm out." Conner said immediately, just as she said Mr. D.

They went back up the hill to the big, blue house. Annabeth held open the screen door and they walked in together, to what seemed like a game room. There was a pool table, surrounded by a mixed assortment of chairs; on the wall was a mounted cheetah head. As she walked by, it roared deafeningly. Emmaleigh was proud she didn't flinch, but it seriously had scared the heck out of her.

At the pool table was a satyr with graying hair and a disgruntled expression, a grumpy looking fat man with dark hair and eyes in a purple Hawaiian shirt, and...a centaur.

"Harry, Chiron, Mr. D, this is Emmaleigh, our new camper." Harry, the satyr, gave a little wave and drained the rest of his Diet Coke. The centaur, Chiron, smiled warmly. Mr. D looked up briefly and back down again, then immediately his head whipped back up and he squinted his eyes.

"This is the Emmaleigh that's been causing all the fuss?" He said, wrinkling his nose, as if disgusted. Emmaleigh glared at him.

"Yes, Mr. D," Annabeth said, almost nervously.

"Doesn't look like she should be fussed over," And his gaze returned to the cards in his hands.

"Pardon Mr. D," Chiron said, stepping forward. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood." He offered his hand, which Emmaleigh shook. Chiron then proceeded to talk about the procedures of the camp.

"Why can't Chiron be the camp director?" Emmaleigh whispered to Annabeth, "He seems like a better person." Annabeth froze. Mr. D's head jerked up again and his eyes narrowed. Emmaleigh noticed they weren't black, as she had originally thought, but dark purple, like wine.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Yes, I think I do." Emmaleigh replied, realization dawning on her. "You're Dionysus. The god of wine and parties." It didn't make any difference to her, however. She didn't mind offending a god; she didn't need a wine dude on her side.

"Mr. D to you," He snarled, "Don't anger me. I'm also the god of madness."

"Doesn't matter what your realm of power is to me." She said, "But I can tell, none of the campers actually really like you, they're just too afraid to say it."

"And they should be!" But Emmaleigh knew that anger, it resulted from hurt.

"If that's what you want." Emmaleigh said, she turned to the centaur. "Thanks Chiron, but I'd better be going."

"Wait just a minute!" Exclaimed Mr. D.

"No, really, I don't want to waste any more of your time."

"This isn't over, Emmaleigh." He hissed, and something struck inside Emmaleigh's mind. With the feeling of being threatened inside of her, Emmaleigh wordlessly grabbed Annabeth's arm and tugged her down the hill.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: First Day**

"That was not intelligent on your part," Annabeth said, as they reached the bottom of the hill.

"I wasn't really shooting for intelligent," Emmaleigh retorted, "I was aiming for insightful." Annabeth continued to chide her, but Emmaleigh tuned her out. Her eyes drifted to the volleyball court.

"Imma go play volleyball, thanks for the advice." She interrupted, cutting Annabeth off mid-sentence. "Do you want to come?"

"I'm good, thanks." She frowned.

Emmaleigh nodded and jogged over, shedding her jacket and boots. "Can I join?" She asked.

"Of course," said a boy without a shirt, he had tan, muscled skin and gray-blonde hair that ended at his shoulders and he had a short beard, a satyr. "I'm Samson."

Emmaleigh played until her voice hurt from calling the ball and her arms stung and were on the verge of bleeding. The sun was almost beneath the horizon when they stopped, but Emmaleigh thought she had never had more fun. Penelope, daughter of Nike, came up to her afterwards. She reminded Emmaleigh of Tori, she had curly red hair just like her and amber eyes with just a hint of light green. Oddly, unlike Tori, she was devoid of freckles.

"Do you play club?" She asked, linking arms with Emmaleigh.

"Nah, I do play on a team, though."

"I do too!"

"So, as the daughter of the victory goddess, do you always win?" Penelope had been on her team, and they had won all the games.

"No, but as children of Nike we tend to excel in our chosen areas. My skills are volleyball, rock climbing, archery and other stuff I probably haven't found out yet." Penelope replied.

"Cool."

"So who do you think is your godly parent?"

"I dunno..." Emmaleigh said. "But it's my mom, that's all I know."

"Hey, maybe your mom is Nike; too, we could be sisters!"

"Hope so. Chiron!" She called, seeing the centaur.

"Emmaleigh."

"Is there a place where I can clean up?" Emmaleigh's skin was sticky with sweat.

"Sure, we have a guest house." Chiron led her to where the cabins were. A plain flat stood off to the side. Emmaleigh thanked Chiron and entered it.

After she showered and dried her hair, she dressed in a black miniskirt, her black boots, a black bomber jacket and a white scarf. As she finished applying her eyeliner, she heard the door open.

"Emmaleigh?" It sounded like Annabeth. Emmaleigh quickly strapped on her dagger and went to the door.

"It's time for dinner," She said, looking uneasy.

"What's up?" Emmaleigh inquired, as they made their way to dinner.

"Oh, um...well you're fifteen. Almost all demigods make their way to Camp Half-Blood by thirteen, once they get older their smell gets stronger and usually, if they aren't found in time, they get killed. But you didn't, and you send off a smell stronger than any other demigod. It's really unusual."

"I'm probably just really lucky," Emmaleigh shrugged. "It's not like they're gonna be a lot of monsters in Indy, we aren't as populated as New York."

"Maybe." Annabeth said with some skepticism.

Dinner was split up into tables by cabin. "Where should I go?"

"You'll be eating with us," Chiron said, coming up from behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder and steered her to a table, right up in front.

"Oh great." Emmaleigh muttered to herself. Dionysus sat there too. And to her displeasure, she was placed to his right, cut off from Chiron.

Chiron then proceeded to introduce her. Emmaleigh barely managed to feign a look of indifference as she stood up and gave a little wave. Her volleyball team cheered and she smiled weakly and sat back down.

"Dig in!" Chiron announced. Emmaleigh looked down at her empty plate and goblet. Before she could ask, Chiron explained how to use it. "Just ask it for what you want."

Surprised and doubtful, Emmaleigh asked for Diet Coke-unfortunately, it was hers _and_ Dionysus's choice of drink-and fettuccine alfredo with green beans and a roll. She noticed everyone getting up to the big fire burning in the center.

"It's traditional to burn food for the gods," Chiron said, and they walked up together.

Emmaleigh scraped some green beans and fettuccine in. Thankfully, she knew some of the gods from her Religions course, and she knew which ones she liked and which ones she didn't. _For Apollo_, she thought, _because you are the god of prophecy and you know who my mom is. I think that's cool, so this is for you_.

Dinner ended too soon, and still Emmaleigh had not been claimed. Chiron's eyebrows knitted together. "She should've claimed you by now."

"Why, is my mom on some sort of deadline?"

So Chiron explained to her about the war with Kronos. "And Percy Jackson made the gods promise, over the River Styx, mind you, to claim their children by the age of thirteen. She will, by the end of the night. We still have capture-the-flag."

"Who's Percy Jackson?" Her eyes found him before Chiron pointed him out. He looked like the save-the-world type, she had to admit. He had scruffy black hair and dark, ocean-blue eyes. He had a confident air about him. Emmaleigh immediately liked him. Just then, Penelope rushed up.

"Checking out Percy?" She gave a nervous sort of giggle. "He's taken, he's Annabeth's boyfriend. And he's the son of Poseidon...very hot."

"Annabeth..." Emmaleigh mumbled.

"Ready for capture-the-flag?"

"No, not really."

"You'll like it." Penelope said, giving a wink. "We play with weapons, though. Kind of like a war-zone, except you aren't allowed to kill, maim, or seriously injure anyone."

Emmaleigh raised an eyebrow, "What about torture?"

Penelope stopped to consider it, "No, no I don't think so."

Emmaleigh laughed as they reached the forest. She hadn't realized where she had been walking until then. "Whose team am I going to be on?"

Penelope shrugged, "We'll see."

Chaos broke loose. Everyone started to get on their bronze armor, strap on their weapons, and talk about strategies and past games with mingled laughter. There seemed to be two teams, blue and red, from the plumes of the helmets. She was handed armor, which she put on, but no helmet. Emmaleigh noticed that Nike, Poseidon, and Athena were on the same team. That would make for tough competition for the other side. Finally, everyone assembled together.

"Who will take Emmaleigh?" Chiron asked. Immediately, a girl with a blue plume stepped forward. She had long, waist length black hair, sharp facial features, pale skin, and sparkling green eyes. She seemed to glow almost.

"We accept her." The girl said. Her voice was very pleasant. Penelope gave a sort of 'sorry-there's-nothing-I-can-do-but- beat-the-crud-out-of-you-now' expression. Emmaleigh rolled her eyes and the teams separated and entered the forest. The black-haired girl left her immediately. Connor Stoll took her place.

"Who's that?" Emmaleigh asked him immediately.

"Jenna, daughter of Hecate. Don't want to mess with her." He replied, "Usually, our leader is Clarisse, daughter of Ares, but she's sick today. That kinda sucks for us, because she's one of our best fighters."

"Who's Hecate?"

"The goddess of magic, she's a minor goddess. But her children have some scary powers." He gave a cheerful smile and a wink.

"All right," Jenna said, turning around and facing the crowd. "I want Hephaestus to set up the standard traps around the perimeter, combination SA1 if you please. Hermes, Nemesis, Aphrodite," She shot a glance to a group of giggling girls, "East side. Erebos and Nyx to the west. Ares and Hecate to the center. I want Gregory, Maria, and Clayton as our scouts. Report to my group if you find anything. Unless you see an opportunity. Then, you should take it." Her eyes swept the group. "Then let's go win!" Everyone cried out in unison.

"What am I supposed to do?" Emmaleigh said aloud.

"I want you to be part of my group," Jenna said, coming up from behind her. She nodded to the demigod at her side, a girl with a pixie cut dyed bubble gum pink. "This is Alyssa, we're going to be the people who capture the flag."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: A Mother**

The sound of a horn trumpeted through the forest. Jenna's head jerked towards it. "That's it. Let's go." She sprinted off.

Thankfully, Emmaleigh did cross country on the side, so she was able to keep up with Jenna's long legs. Alyssa, who was curvy (but not fat or unfit), had trouble keeping up, her legs were shorter. They traveled around five hundred yards before Jenna stopped and pulled them behind the trees.

"There are archers a hundred yards from here," Jenna said, "They won't aim to kill, but they'll try to wound us. Probably try to hit a leg or shoulder. I'm going to block the arrows from hitting us, but it won't last long." She grabbed Emmaleigh and Alyssa's hands tightly. Her eyes closed and her lips parted. Green light poured from her lips and entered their hands. It seemed to travel under their skin, all over their bodies.

"Here we go." They sprinted away. Sure enough, arrows whistled past them, but all seemed to narrowly avoid them. They passed the archers and continued onwards. They didn't make it far.

Five demigods ran up to them, all wielding swords. Emmaleigh recognized one of Penelope's siblings underneath a helmet. Jenna unsheathed a curved blade and Alyssa notched her bow. Emmaleigh pulled out her dagger, but she didn't think it'd do her much good. Jenna immediately ran to the first demigod and Alyssa fired at another. Unfortunately, one advanced to Emmaleigh.

Emmaleigh's stance turned defensive as the demigod, a tall, strong boy, swung his sword. She managed to spin out of the way, and brought up her knife to block the tip of the sword as it whizzed past her. But he brought his sword back around, catching Emmaleigh by surprise. She danced backwards, but it caught her arm, splitting the cloth and drawing blood. Emmaleigh used all her strength to parry the next three blows. The power of it sent her steadily retreating. Suddenly, she found herself backed up to a tree, the demigod's sword raised. Her senses took over. Her peripherals blurred and she got tunnel vision, focusing on the demigod and sword. Might rippled through her fingers and he was knocked off his feet. His sword went spiraling from his hand. Emmaleigh ran over, and saw he'd been knocked out.

"I think you're a daughter of Hecate," Jenna said quietly, just as she finished off a girl. "That was magic you did."

Emmaleigh inspected her hands, "Magic?"

"I'd know it anywhere." Emmaleigh nodded. "We need to continue, come on."

The trio sprinted away from the unconscious group and deeper into the forest. Unexpectedly, Jenna stopped. "We need to split up. Alysaa, go left, I'll go right, Emmaleigh, backtrack." She took off without another word. Alyssa was right behind her, then veered to the left as they came to an almost invisible fork.

"She doesn't want me to find it." Emmaleigh realized. She frowned. If she could just summon magic...She felt the power within her hands again. "Take me to the opponent's flag." She whispered.

Emmaleigh's hands warmed and a light appeared in the center of her palm. She extended her arm. The light swept the area, and then stopped. It pointed west-southwest. Emmaleigh ran in that direction, keeping her arm stretched out in front of her. She followed the light-guide. Then, without warning, it turned off, and just between the trees, Emmaleigh saw the fluttering red flag.

Emmaleigh knew there was a trap, but she bit it anyway. It was the only way she could find it. As she stepped into the clearing, seven demigods jumped to the ground, out of the trees. Percy and Annabeth were among them.

"Hey there, Emmaleigh," Annabeth said, "You're alone, aren't you?" Emmaleigh nodded, seeing no reason to hide the truth.

"Well, we might as well hold her captive until the game's over," Percy suggested with a shrug. Emmaleigh frowned.

"Hey, who said I was giving up this easily?" And she sent her dagger spiraling end over end at Percy shirt, pinning him to a nearby tree.

"You're weaponless, now, not very smart." Annabeth said.

"Ah, but you're wrong." From her jacket she pulled her real dagger. "That was a duplicate."

"Duplicate?"

"Yes." She had duplicated it with magic, but she wasn't going to tell Annabeth that. She ran over to Percy, before he could free himself, and knocked his head against the tree. "Sorry, dude."

"Hey!" With that, Annabeth raced after her. Emmaleigh dodged her knife and spun behind her. Annabeth whirled around to face her, and someone behind her held up their sword to the nape of their neck.

"I'm not done," Emmaleigh said, with a wink. She tapped into her power one more time, feeling it deep within the pit of her stomach. Magic flowed from the tips of her fingers and collarbone. It burst out of her like a sonic boom, sending everyone around her sprawling. She ran over and grabbed the flag and raced away.

But as she ran, weariness began to overtake Emmaleigh. She didn't give up, though, and pressed forward, trying to overcome her fatigue. Before she knew it, arrows began to shoot down at her in volleys. She desperately hoped Jenna's protection still worked. She heard the yells and shouts of warriors, and realized she had the other team on her tail. The border was nearing.

She heard the wind whistle and automatically ducked. A spear shot past her and she shuddered, thinking of it piercing her shoulder. Emmaleigh deepened her pace, her strides became longer, but all the while her head was pounding and her stomach heaving. Her breathing became ragged. "You can do it, Emmaleigh!" It was Penelope.

_You can do it_. It was Jenna. Inside her head. She was so surprised she almost stopped.

And she crossed the border.

The blue-plumed team cheered in triumph. Alyssa came up and hugged her. Jenna walked up and nodded. "You didn't obey my directions."

"Yes, I did. You said 'if you see an opportunity, take it'." Jenna laughed.

"Glad you were listening, newbie. And about what happened back there...I'll keep your secret, until you're claimed by Hecate."

Emmaleigh opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly she felt heat above her head. She looked up.

That's wasn't Hecate's symbol. It was a shining, gray owl.

"Daughter of Athena," Jenna whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Athena and Nike**

"It's strange," Annabeth said, as she led me to Athena's cabin. "The children of Athena tend to have gray eyes. You do seem to have silver running through the blue, but still..."

"Dunno," Emmaleigh shrugged, feeling self-conscious. After the capture the flag game, she had taken Jenna aside.

"You can't tell anyone," She had repeated. "No one else has magic outside of the Hecate cabin."

"I won't, but this isn't unheard of. I mean, the gardeners aren't just Demeter cabin, the smart people are just Athena's brood."

"Still."

Jenna sighed, "_Still,_ this isn't something you can hide forever."

"But I'll hide it as long as I can."

Athena's cabin looked clean and sophisticated, built with creamy white blocks. Above the doorway was the carving of an owl. Emmaleigh had the feeling it was staring her down, as if seeing her abnormality, when she walked in.

The inside was clean too. It had shelves and shelves of books and SMART boards, with bunk beds pushed up against the walls, Emmaleigh guessed because they would get in the way if they were positioned differently. She saw a real library in the background. "There's also a workshop," Said Annabeth. Annabeth pointed to a bunk bed in the corner. "That's your bed." Emmaleigh breathed a sigh of relief; at least she wouldn't be in the center of attention.

She walked to the bathrooms and changed into a pair of comfy shorts and an overlarge t-shirt. She brushed her teeth and returned to the bunk bed. She placed her heavy bag underneath the bed and promptly fell asleep.

That night, Emmaleigh dreamed she was in a brightly lit room, facing glass doors that led to a balcony. A woman with long, plaited hair in a white Grecian chiffon stood on the balcony, one hand on the rail, the other on an ornamental sword at her hip.

"Emmaleigh," She turned, and Emmaleigh met her eyes. The woman had piercing gray eyes, calculating and cunning. Emmaleigh immediately admired her. "I am your mother, Athena."

Emmaleigh wasn't exactly sure what to do with this woman she'd never met or known about. She simply inclined her head, wondering what this was all about.

"I apologize for how long it took to claim you, there was a bit of a problem."

"What do you mean?"

Athena sighed, "Remember when Annabeth had said you gave off a scent more powerful than any other demigod's? Emmaleigh, you are much different from the others, because your father was a demigod, the son of Hephaestus."

"Um...ew." Emmaleigh said, wrinkling her nose, "Wouldn't he be like...your half-nephew?"

Athena rolled her eyes, "Yes, but gods don't worry about DNA. I mean, technically, Hera and Zeus are like brother and sister, and yet they have two godly children. But anyways, Emmaleigh you are much more powerful, because not only was your father the son of Hephaestus, he was the son of another demigod, although minor, she was the daughter of Hecate. You are seven-eighths god, Emmaleigh."

Emmaleigh raised her eyebrows, "So Hephaestus is my grandfather, and Hecate is my great-grandmother." Athena nodded.

"Hmm...but I don't see how you had trouble claiming me?"

"Had lot's of paperwork to file. No one actually knew about your father, who was seventy-five percent god. We had you when he was eighteen, but he'd never made it to Camp Half-Blood. You are the first known of your kind, Emmaleigh."

Emmaleigh crossed her arms. "And what advantages does this bring?"

"You are more powerful than all the rest. But that is also very, very dangerous." Athena's eyes flitted out to the gardens below the balcony. "The gods are keeping their eyes on you. The War of the Titans is over, but this is only the calm before another. Be ready." The dream faded away and Emmaleigh awoke.

Moonlight poured into the room through the crevices in the curtain. Feeling wide awake, Emmaleigh pulled jeans over her shorts and her leather jacket over her t-shirt. She put on her boots and her dagger and left the cabin.

Emmaleigh didn't realize where she was going until she was there. She stood in front of the Nike cabin. It was the same size as Athena's, with a golden roof and a great carving of laurels above the doorway, sparkling like emeralds. Suddenly, the knob turned and the door opened. Penelope stepped out, her eyes wide.

"Penelope?"

"Emmaleigh!" Nike's child ran forward and hugged her. "How did you know?"

"Know what?" Her voice was muffled by Penelope's black fleece.

"I had this dream..." Her eyes were wide. "Nike showed it to me. She has golden laurels that bestow the skills that lead to victory upon mortals, demigods, monsters, and gods. But Emmaleigh...they've been stolen. And she knows who."

"Who?" Dread filled her.

"A child of Athena. C'mon, we have to go to Chiron."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Strengths and Weaknesses**

"A child of Athena?" Clarified Chiron, massaging his temples. Emmaleigh felt bad for waking him up at four in the morning, but she couldn't stop Penelope.

"That's it," Penelope shot Emmaleigh a nervous look, making Emmaleigh wonder if Penelope suspected her.

"Well, we can't do anything yet." Chiron said.

"But-" Chiron held up a hand, cutting her off.

"We need to see what the gods are going to do. If in three days, nothing happens, you can go to Rachel to get a prophecy, if she has one for you." Penelope sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Now, why don't you go back to bed? Emmaleigh, I want to talk to you." Penelope shot Emmaleigh another look before heading out. "There is something you would like to tell me." He said it almost like a question, but stated it as a fact.

"Yes. The thing is… I'm seventh-eights god." Then Emmaleigh explained her bloodline. She appreciated that the entire time, Chiron kept silent and listened attentively.

"That is...interesting." He finally said, but Emmaleigh saw sadness in his expression.

"At the end of my dream, Athena said we are in the calm between two wars. What did she mean?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you, my dear."

"You know, though."

"I do." He whispered.

"Alright, well, I guess I'll go back to sleep." Emmaleigh said, realizing he wasn't going to tell her even if she pressed.

The next morning, she was awakened by Annabeth. Just as she started to brush her hair, her half-sister shoved a piece of paper at her.

"What's this?" She asked, as she put her hair up in a ponytail.

"Your schedule." Annabeth promptly turned and left. Emmaleigh read it as she brushed her teeth and changed into jean shorts and the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt someone had lain out on the empty, top bunk. She decided to wear her boots and leather jacket over it.

Emmaleigh met Annabeth outside the cabin, she had a book in her hand that she was studying intently. "What are you reading?"

"The Odyssey."

"Why?"

"I like it."

"Oh. So are we gonna go to breakfast?"

Emmaleigh led a distracted Annabeth to the Mess Hall. Emmaleigh loaded a plate for Annabeth and for herself and led the girl immersed in her book to their table. Emmaleigh glanced over to the Nike table, to see Penelope talking intently to a group of golden or red headed boys and girls. She had heavy bags under her eyes, signaling to Emmaleigh she'd been awake all night.

Emmaleigh's eyes swept the group. Almost all of them were blonde, except for a sandy haired boy a few seats down and a girl with auburn hair diagonal from her. All of them had gray eyes, except for her. She fidgeted in her seat.

"Annabeth, I gotta tell you something." Annabeth had set her book down to inhale her waffles. She explained Penelope's dream to her.

"But why would a child of Athena take something of Nike's?" Annabeth frowned, "Nike and Athena are on great terms. A child of Athena would not be stupid enough to do something like that, to wreck their relationship."

"Exactly, but why would Nike think that?"

"What if...what if Penelope wasn't telling the truth."

"I don't think she would do that."

"You haven't known her for that long."

"Yeah, but I didn't get that impression." Emmaleigh was torn. Penelope was so nice, she didn't seem like a liar. She had looked genuine.

After breakfast, Athena's cabin filed out to swordplay. Clarisse, who was usually the teacher, was still sick, so Percy had taken over.

"Come on, you should meet Percy." Annabeth said, taking her over to him. The son of the sea god looked up.

"Hey Annabeth!" His eyes lit up when he saw her. "Hey Emmaleigh."

"You know me, Percy?"

"Well, you know me."

"You saved the world."

Percy shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. "Yeah. But you won capture the flag."

"So what are we doing today?" Emmaleigh asked.

"We're about to start." Emmaleigh took this as a hint to 'go away', so she walked over to her siblings, letting Annabeth and Percy talk by themselves.

A few minutes later, after they'd decked out in their armor, Percy stood up. "Okay guys, today we're going to have a little fun." He shot an apologetic look at Emmaleigh, as if she wouldn't like this. "We're going to have a tournament. Each of you will fight with me, until one of us loses." Everyone around Emmaleigh looked up to the challenge, but Emmaleigh was nervous. She looked down at her dagger. It wouldn't be enough.

The tournament did not go well for her. Percy brought out Riptide and Emmaleigh unsheathed her dagger. Then, Percy had leaped forward and it had all gone downhill.

For a while, she'd managed to match him blow for blow, and even was able to scratch him. But then he'd feinted and she'd fallen for it. He'd disarmed her by spinning around and knocking her weapon out of her hand forcefully.

"Good job, for your first time." But Emmaleigh still walked off feeling humiliated.

Emmaleigh also sucked at archery. They were shooting with the Iris Cabin, who was much, much better than her. By the end, she could manage to shoot the arrow just short of the target without it hitting anyone else.

When she had free choice, she decided on the climbing wall. Unfortunately, Penelope, who, as a daughter of Nike, was very competitive, was doing it at the same time. Penelope beat her, but Emmaleigh also excelled at it. She had barely lost.

Afterwards, they were having swimming time with the nereids. Emmaleigh shuttered as she changed into her black bikini and black flip flops. She hoped they would spend all their time on the beach. All the way there, she prayed to Tyche.

No such luck.

They were swimming with Hermes cabin, so Annabeth assured her that someone would be dunked under more than once.

Emmaleigh refused to put a toe in the water. Emmaleigh stayed on the very edge, just a little ways out from the tide.

"Get. In." One finally said.

"I can't." Emmaleigh finally said. She had kept this to herself. "The water makes me weak."

At that moment, someone came up behind her. She felt arms wrap around her waist, and she cried out as she was thrown over someone's shoulder. She realized it was Connor. Connor backed up and ran, racing on the dock. Emmaleigh screamed as they plunged into the water. The iciness closed around her. But just as she went under, Connor pulled her above the water and up on the dock.

"Connor!" She yelled, coughing up water. She ran over and shoved him in with all her strength. He came up laughing and Emmaleigh rolled her eyes, stomping away. She grabbed a towel and wrapped herself in it. Her head was beginning to throb, but she was able to ignore it. It was okay. She felt at home.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Prophecy**

The next day, during archery, Chiron pulled Emmaleigh aside. "Penelope is going to Rachel today, she's our oracle. Something happened on Olympus today. She would like you to go with her."

"Okay, where is she?"

"Waiting outside the Nike cabin."

Emmaleigh put away her bow with excitement and raced to the Nike cabin in a matter of minutes. Penelope stood outside, looking anxious. She brightened when she saw Emmaleigh.

"Glad you came, let's go." She marched away from the cabins and up to the Big House. "Rachel will be up here."

"So is she a daughter of Apollo?" Emmaleigh questioned, as they entered the house.

"I'm quite mortal, actually." Said a voice to the right. Rachel stepped out into the light. She had frizzy red hair, freckles, bright green eyes, and was wearing a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt.

"Oh."

"We're here about Nike's stolen laurels." Penelope interrupted.

Rachel nodded. Almost immediately, Rachel collapsed and her eyes rolled up into her head. Penelope and Emmaleigh rushed forward and propped her onto a chair. Green mist began to splay from her mouth.

"_Magic, wisdom, and victory three,_

_Will venture to the inland seas,_

_Five Great Lakes conceal a might,_

_To tear the gods into the darkest nights,_

_One will fall in the wooded lands,_

_Two will venture with bloodied hands,_

_Monsters, gods, and foe will stalk,_

_But in the end, one alone will walk._"

Rachel's eyes focused and she sat up. "So what'd I say?" Feeling unnerved, Emmaleigh repeated it.

"Magic, wisdom, and victory..." Penelope mumbled. "A child of Hecate, Athena, and Nike."

"Possibly," but Emmaleigh had a feeling magic meant her. "Let's go to Chiron."

Just as they turned to leave, Dionysus appeared in the doorway. "Your sister is in danger, Emmaleigh." His eyes glinted.

"What do you mean?"

"Nike suspects a child of Athena. Not you. No, she thinks its Annabeth."

"ANNABETH?!" Emmaleigh cried, "Why her?"

"It all adds up, actually. It disappeared right under her nose, and Annabeth has that nifty invisible baseball cap of hers. She's the stealthiest of you all, and the smartest. Athena trusts her the most. That's what Nike has concluded."

"How do you know what Nike thinks?"

"Nike yelled it at Athena today on Olympus, it was on Hephaestus TV."

"Thanks for the info, I guess." Emmaleigh said, but she knew Dionysus was only saying to to disgruntle her. Emmaleigh pulled Penelope down to Chiron, who was conveniently conversing with Annabeth.

She explained everything, from the prophecy to Dionysus's information. Chiron nodded. "I heard about it. She also gave Athena seven days to return it; if Athena does then their relationship will be repaired. If not, she will wage war."

"Well, it looks like we've formed our group." Emmaleigh said dejectedly, "Penelope, Annabeth, and me."

"But that's two wisdoms!" Penelope exclaimed.

"No. I'm magic. Watch." Emmaleigh lit up her palm with light; it wavered for a few seconds before flickering out. "It's not very powerful, but it's something."

Annabeth sighed, "So it looks like we're off to Michigan."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Departure**

The three needed to be off as soon as possible. Emmaleigh showered and changed back into her Camp Half-Blood outfit. She'd emptied her bag earlier. Now she put in some toiletries, a change of clothes, and a silver windbreaker. She then walked to the camp store where she was given a "Beginners Kit to Quests" which included assorted medicines, ambrosia, nectar, duct tape, bandages, a needle and thread—possibly for stitches, pepper spray, and more.

"Are you ready?" Penelope asked, once Emmaleigh had put the kit in her bag. Penelope had been the first one to finish packing, and had followed Emmaleigh around. She was acting jittery and impatient. Annabeth came up just then and nodded.

"How are we supposed to get there?" Asked Emmaleigh.

"Well, the van we used to retrieve you wasn't ours and we had to return it. The camp van is gone too. We'll have to go by Pegasi."

"I've only ridden a Pegasus once!" Emmaleigh said, aghast. "We were only ten feet off the ground and I fell multiple times."

"We could take a bus." Penelope suggested. "But we would have to ride on Pegasi to get to land. We are on Long Island Sound, you know."

Emmaleigh groaned. "Buses are gross but that would be better than riding the whole time. How far is the nearest city?"

"It's only around ten minutes to Manhattan via Pegasi." Annabeth led them to the stables. She met a big, burly guy from Iris outside. "We need three Pegasi." Just then, Percy walked out of the stables, leading three Pegasi. He handed a black stallion to Annabeth.

"Blackjack has agreed to go with you. Take good care of him." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, then handed Blackjack off to her. To Penelope, he gave a strong bay with very long, wavy black hair, and to Emmaleigh, a docile-looking spotted Pegasus.

"Thanks Percy." Penelope said, she and Annabeth mounted with ease.

Feeling foolish, Emmaleigh did the same. To her relief, she was seated properly on her first try. She nudged her Pegasus' sides just as she'd been taught and her mount ascended comfortably into the air.

Emmaleigh spent the remainder of the ride clinging to the reins. Fortunately, the Pegasus was very well trained and managed to keep her anxious rider on boards. Emmaleigh couldn't help but sigh in relief as they touched the ground, just outside Manhattan.

"What happens if someone sees them?" She asked Annabeth as they watched their Pegasi return to Camp Half-Blood.

"There's this magical thing called the Mist that blocks people from seeing strange things. Demigods can see through the Mist, and you'll find the occasional mortal, like Rachel Dare, the oracle, who can too. They'll probably just appear as pigeons or something." And with that, they entered Manhattan.

Thankfully, there was a bus headed for Indianapolis, Indiana-ironic because that's where Emmaleigh had lived-at noon, which was in half an hour. They decided to stop for lunch at McDonald's beforehand; and they returned just in time.

The bus was overcrowded, hot, and smelly with everyone so close to each other. Penelope frowned at someone near the back.

"What is it?" Emmaleigh said, noticing her face.

"Nothing, nothing..." Penelope turned away. Emmaleigh traced where Penelope's gazed had focused. She seemed to have been looking at a fifteen year old girl with long, shiny red hair in black glasses, hunched over a hardback book.

"Who's that?"

"I said it was nothing." Penelope said, but her face was sheepish. Emmaleigh gave her a look and Penelope sighed, defeated. "She just look's like Angela, my younger sister. Half-sister, actually, daughter of my dad and his girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

"He's a bit of an idiot. He used to be a swimmer, he was doing really well, was supposed to be the favorite for the London 2012 Olympics. That's when he and my mom met. But after she left me, he got in a car accident-well, was run over actually. He hurt his side for good, restricting his left arm and leg movement. He dropped out of the running. Everything kinda went downhill from there. He became addicted to pain relievers. Started spending more nights at the bar. That's where he met his girlfriend, and they had Angela."

"I'm sorry." Emmaleigh mumbled, putting a hand on her friend's arm.

"It's nothing. Like they say, can't pick your family." Penelope spent the next hour in silence.

Noon waned, and soon it was evening. The bus stopped and they were let off in Washington, Pennsylvania. They ate a hurried lunch at Applebee's and returned to the bus. "It's going to be a loong ride." Emmaleigh commented, as they boarded.

Sometime around nine, she fell asleep. Two hours later, she awoke, startled, by the driver's voice over the speakers. "Everybody off, we've arrived."

"So what do we do now? Are we in time to find a bus to northern Michigan?" Penelope said, as they got off the bus and walked up to the signs that displayed the bus times.

"Look, they have a midnight ride to Traverse City!" Emmaleigh pointed up at the sign. "That's northern Michigan, right?"

"Yes. I'll go get our tickets." Annabeth scurried up to the lady behind the desk and bought their tickets, while Penelope and Emmaleigh settled onto a bench. Almost immediately, Emmaleigh felt her eyes close and her head loll onto Penelope's shoulder, and then she felt herself being shaken awake to board another bus. The bus felt the same to her, and she fell asleep again.

They were right outside Traverse City, at six o'clock in the morning when the bus flipped over.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 8: Drawn to the Forest**

Screams filled the air, as people desperately tried to escape the bus. Emmaleigh kicked open an emergency exit window, and pulled Annabeth and Penelope out behind her. They took a few steps back to get a good look of the smoking wreckage. Emmaleigh gasped. Beside it was a huge beast.

The thing was like no monster she'd seen before. It had the humungous head and mane of a lion, the sturdy, scruffy body of a goat. It sported a writhing snake for a tail.

"We have to kill it, before it hurts anyone!" said Penelope, taking her fold-able bow out of her bag and unfolding it. She fitted an arrow onto her string. Annabeth and Emmaleigh pulled out their daggers. Emmaleigh felt very unmatched.

Penelope sent an arrow whizzing towards it's neck, but the monster brought it's tail around, to block the fatal blow. Instead, the snake's eye took the hit. It hissed and spat in pain. The lion's head focused on the three demigods. And charged.

"A good time to run?" Emmaleigh squeaked. Penelope nodded dumbly, and the three turned and sprinted. Fortunately (for the bus riders), or unfortunately (for them), the monster followed them. They made a beeline for a forest.

The Chimera, as Emmaleigh had deduced, followed them in, crashing through the trees. Penelope took the opportunity to send a few more arrows over her shoulder. The Chimera's hisses of pain were far too audible, in Emmaleigh's opinion. They reached a clearing in the forest.

"We should stop. That thing isn't going to rest until it catches us." Annabeth said, breathing hard in unison with the others. They formed a triangle, back to back, waiting for the Chimera.

It came. Of course. It broke through the trees wildly, then skidded to a halt, realizing it's prey was nearer than it had believed. Fire sprayed from the lion's mouth.

Before it could hit Penelope and Annabeth, Emmaleigh ran forward, receiving the full power of the spray. Penelope screamed, The fire wasn't all that hot, actually, it felt warm and comforting.

_My Hephaestus heritage,_ She thought to herself. She backed away as the fire diminished into nothing. She heard a gasp.

"How was this killed before?" Emmaleigh asked, as the creature breathed more fire.

"Well, Bellerophon suffocated her, by shoving his spear down her throat." replied Annabeth.

"But we don't have-"

"A spear. I know." Penelope cut in, gritting her teeth. The Chimera advanced while the demigods retreated, still breathing fire. Emmaleigh managed to guide the fire away from them until it sputtered out, but she couldn't keep it up for long.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, silver arrows as fast as the wind sped at the creature, imbedding themselves alongside Penelope's on it's neck like a spiked color. The creature whined like a dog and sank to the ground, breathing laboriously.

Ten girls clad in silver rushed from the trees. The one in front had long, raven colored hair and slanted eyes, elven in appearance. Her green eyes inspected the Chimera. She turned to the girl next to her, (what Emmaleigh presumed to be) a demigod. The girl had inky black hair and crystalline blue eyes. "A sword, Thalia. I need a sword."

Thalia walked to a girl standing in the back and retrieved a sword from her. She gave it to the raven-girl in front. The raven-girl took one last look at the monster, before opening it's muzzle and shoving the blade down it's throat. The Chimera shuddered and life winked out of it's eyes.

"Thank you, Artemis." said Annabeth. **(A/N, Artemis is different in appearance according to Rick Riordan, but this is how I imagined her)**

"Artemis!" Emmaleigh gasped in surprise. The goddess of the forest? She looked barely fourteen! Artemis turned to them.

"Will you accompany us for the night?" Artemis asked. Penelope nodded vigorously, and they followed her, Thalia, and the others away from the clearing, where the Chimera had turned to dust.

"Thalia, how are you?" Annabeth seemed a little reserved when she approached the girl. Thalia simply turned and hugged her furiously. Annabeth laughed.

"It's going well, living as a Hunter of Artemis." She replied, her voice overlapping the chattering of the others. Emmaleigh felt kind of awkward, walking with them without having anything to say. Thankfully, Thalia said, "Who are these two?"

"This is Emmaleigh, my half-sister, and Penelope, daughter of Nike. We're here...well we're here because Nike thinks I stole her laurels, and this is where we think they are. In the Great Lakes."

"The Great Lakes?" Thalia frowned. Before she could say anything more, they came upon their campsite. Fires flecked with silver were lit and silver tents had been posted. Artemis beckoned the three demigods, and Thalia, to followed her. They entered the biggest tent.

"I know why you have come here." Artemis said. The tent was covered with furs. "The laurels are indeed here. They have been captured by...monsters. That is all I can say. Athena knows of this." She nodded to Emmaleigh, who frowned, confused. "The laurels seem to be giving power to these monsters. It has been attracting others, like the Chimera. You must retrieve them. I cannot stress how _vital _they are." Her eyes flickered to Penelope, then Annabeth, and last Thalia, who stood by the tent entrance. "Would you three leave? I would like to speak with Emmaleigh alone."

As they left, Artemis stood, so she was eye level with Emmaleigh. "You are practically a goddess." Emmaleigh dagger flew from it's sheathe and into Artemis' hand. "Give me your hand." Artemis brought the blade lightly down on her palm, drawing blood. To Emmaleigh's astonishment, it was silver. Artemis placed the dagger back in it's sheathe. "You saw red for so long, because of the Mist. If you were fully immortal, your blood would be gold. But your silver blood will cause you to heal quicker and live longer.

"That alone won't protect you. You can't roam the wilderness with just a dagger." She held up a hand as Emmaleigh's mouth opened. She turned to an oak chest and opened it. When she turned, Artemis held a silver bundle. "Open it."

Emmaleigh did. Inside were two glistening silver swords. She picked them up. The blades were light and perfectly balanced. The hilts were small. She loved them instantly.

"They are my gifts to you." Artemis said. "They are crafted of Hallowed Silver. Very rare, but they can kill demigod and monster. But not mortal, just like Celestial Bronze. Use them well." She handed Emmaleigh two silver sheathes. Emmaleigh unbuckled the belt holding her dagger, slipped the dagger in her boots, and replaced the dagger's belt with that of the sheathes.

"Thank you, Artemis." Emmaleigh inclined her head.

"There is one more thing you should know. The laurels aren't in Lake Michigan. They're in Lake Erie, across the state. But I can help you with transportation." She led Emmaleigh outside. Artemis snapped her fingers. They sparked silver for just a moment. She heard the roar of an engine and spun around. A teen with golden blonde hair, dark shades, and an IPod in his ears sat on the hood of his red sports car. He nodded to Artemis.

"Hey sis!"

* * *

Don't judge me for stealing the part where Artemis calls Apollo to provide transportation. Apollo will have his part later, I think. ;)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten: One Will Fall  
**

"Who is this?" Emmaleigh asked.

"Apollo, god of poetry, music, the sun, and archery." He bowed. He straightened and gave a small grin, one side of his mouth twitching up above the other. He took off his shades.

"Why him?" She hissed to Artemis. "You have a sleigh, don't you? Thalia said so earlier."

"I am called elsewhere." She replied, to loud for Emmaleigh's liking. But it appeared Apollo had heard her. The sun god simply smiled.

"I will take you three in the sun chariot."

"You weren't looking into the sun too long, were you?" Emmaleigh said, "That's a sports car." Apollo waved a hand.

"I can make it look however I want it. Hop in." To her distaste, Annabeth and Penelope claimed the back, so she was forced to sit in the front, next to Apollo. He winked at her, adjusted his mirror, revved his engine, and took off into the sky.

_Thank you for your assistance,_ She silently prayed to Artemis, knowing the goddess would hear her.

"I see she gave you something," Apollo motioned to the silver sheathes.

"Swords."

"Let me see," Penelope grabbed the hilt of the sword and pulled it out a bit. She exhaled loudly. "Wow, what's it made of?"

"Hallowed Silver." Apollo and Emmaleigh said at the same time. Emmaleigh glared at him, crossed her arms, and looked out the opposite way.

"Any requests?" Apollo asked, flicking on the radio. Penelope suggested something, and to Emmaleigh's horror it was country.

"Oh, turn it off." She moaned, pretending to plug her ears. Penelope reached up and smacked her on the arm.

"Oh yes, please do." Annabeth said. "I heard of a demigod that used country music to kill a Hydra."

"Whatever." Emmaleigh looked in the review mirror to see Penelope roll her eyes.

"Hey, country isn't that bad. What kind of girl from Indiana would say that?"

"How do you know I lived in Indiana?" Emmaleigh glared.

"Hey," He held up his hands, as if to placate her. "I'm the sun god, I see everything."

"Okay, just put your hands back on the wheel." She said, through gritted teeth.

"If you say so." Then he jerked the steering wheel. They veered to the left. The three girls cried out in surprise. Emmaleigh grabbed the wheel and pulled them back. Apollo and Penelope were laughing at her tenseness.

"Shut up." Annabeth said, glaring at them.

"What?" Penelope frowned, seeing Annabeth's face.

"Her dad died in a car crash." Silence fell, with the exception of the wavering voice on the radio. Emmaleigh blinked back a few tears at the memory. But how did Annabeth know? As if reading her mind, Annabeth leaned forward and whispered:

"Remember, we kept tabs on you."

A few minutes later, the car touched the ground. Before she could get our, Apollo was on the other side. He opened the door. She saw sadness in his eyes. She simply brushed past him and let Annabeth and Penelope do the thanking.

"You're welcome," He said, she could feel his gaze on her, but she steadily kept her eyes focused on Annabeth. "And don't get killed." He put his sunglasses back on, tossed one more look over his shoulder, and left. The car disappeared on the horizon.

Emmaleigh looked around. They stood on what appeared to be a beach. Small waves, although nothing compared to the ocean, lapped up against the shore. To her right, a little ways off, appeared to be another forest. Something drew her to it.

"Let's go there." Her finger raised as if on it's own command, shaking a little. The other two seemed to also feel it and walked off towards it.

The forest was dark, although the day outside was bright. They walked uphill for a little while. Emmaleigh suddenly stopped, throwing her arm out to halt the others. "Did you hear that?" She whispered. A cold wind brushed her face, bringing another sound. It sounded like the light pad of a walking cat.

It came again and again, but it seemed to be coming from different direction. Then, the sound of a furious wind passed through her ears. She felt something enter her. It settled in her stomach.

"Emmaleigh?" Penelope sounded worried. Emmaleigh turned. Her once blue eyes were gray, and her hair seemed darker. Heavy bags, like bruises, had formed under her eyes and she had a wearied look about her. Penelope turned to Annabeth. Annabeth was the same, except her gray eyes had turned black. "You guys, are you okay?"

"We are the spirits of the Kobaloi." They hissed in unison. "We are enslaved to Enceladus, once slain by Athena. We will take revenge on her children. We will kill you. It will tear them apart..." They stepped forward, unnatural hatred in their eyes. Annabeth fingered the blade of her dagger, Emmaleigh unsheathed her swords and twirled them threateningly.

Penelope knew she had to get away, she turned to run but before she could take more than two steps, she felt a heavy weight on her. She turned her head to see Emmaleigh and Annabeth had pinned her down. Penelope cried out for help. Emmaleigh and Annabeth looked at each other. Emmaleigh raised a sword, Annabeth a dagger. Penelope felt a searing, ripping pain in her back. Coldness overtook her limbs, racking her body. She moaned.

"Emmaleigh...Annabeth..." She whispered, feeling the life leaving her. Emmaleigh and Annabeth seemed to reawaken. They screamed. She felt something being pressed to her lips, and realized it was ambrosia. "No, I am dying. It cannot help me now."

"I will not let you die!" Emmaleigh cried. The fingertips of her hand shone green and she brought it down on Penelope's back. Penelope yelled but her voice faltered out, losing strength with each passing moment.

"NO. Let me say this. Let me speak my last words." Emmaleigh began to cry silently. Penelope took a weak, shuddering breath. "The Kobaloi took over your minds. They killed me, not you. They said something about Enceladus, the giant and being enslaved." Her eyes rolled, but she forced herself to focus them. "I feel, so cold..." She gasped and lay still.

"No...no..." Emmaleigh breathed. She fell to her knees. "No, Penelope." She began to sob, and she felt Annabeth beside her, weeping with her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven: Unlocking Magic**

"Weep not." Said a deep, but sweet voice. Emmaleigh whirled around. "Burn her. It would be fitting for her. A girl of a noble heart."

"No." Emmaleigh choked. She knew who this was, from the woman's waist-length, ash black hair, glowing, eerie eyes, and smooth, ivory complexion. She looked almost like a vampire. This was Hecate, the goddess of black magic. "Hecate, will you send her body back to Camp Half-Blood?"

Hecate considered this for a moment. "I suspect that the campers there would be very taken aback by the magical appearance of a dead friend. Write a note first, young one, and then I will." A piece of paper and a black ink pen appeared.

"Should I write it?" Emmaleigh murmured. Annabeth nodded, wiping away the rest of her tears.

She wrote:

_Dear Chiron and the campers of Camp Half-Blood, and Mr. D too, I guess,_

_ When you see this body, you should mourn. Mourn the loss of someone good. Mourn the loss of your friend and your sister. She died at the hands of her friends. It was not intentional, for Annabeth and I were possessed. You can wait, if you like, for us to return. But please, burn her, if I be so bold to ask. She would be honored. I write this with great sadness, bitterness, and regret, for I loved her too. _

_With a heavy heart,_

_Emmaleigh_

_P. S. Annabeth conveys her condolences and her regrets. _

Tears spotted the paper, but she tucked it in Penelope's stony, cold hand anyway. Penelope's body shimmered, like a projector's image, and disappeared. Emmaleigh shed one last tear before turning to Hecate. Annabeth was first to speak.

"What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, and why didn't you stop her from DYING?!" Emmaleigh screamed the last word. Hecate showed no sign of emotion.

"Emmaleigh, the divine laws stop me from interfering. And to spare a life would be to interfere. To answer your question, Annabeth, I am here to give you two some information. I also have a little gift for Emmaleigh."

Emmaleigh didn't like the sound of that.

"First, the laurels aren't in the lakes. There's an island in the middle of the lake where you need to travel. Second, you'll need intelligence, and wisdom, I suppose, to defeat what is there." Her eyes met Emmaleigh. She noticed black in the midst of the green. Then she turned to Annabeth and explained the whole seven-eighths god thing. Emmaleigh glared at her.

"You know she has magic, yes? But when she was born, Athena-cunning that one, always admired her for it-had me place a spell around her to lock it away. She didn't want it interfering. "She's almost a full goddess, we need to limit her power so she can live normally," Athena told me. That's why you can't use very much magic, young one. I'm here to give you this." From her black trench coat she produced a silver chain with a sparkling, black jewel the size of a quarter. Emmaleigh took it. "Once you put it on, it will reverse the effects of the spell, and you can use your magic normally. Mind you, young one, you do have a lot of it. You will see the world differently afterwards." With these words spoken, she was surrounded in what appeared to be a black wind. The next moment, she was gone.

"Are you going to put it on?" Annabeth asked gently. Emmaleigh stared at it, transfixed.

"I don't know. I don't know if I _want_ to live abnormally."

"You _are_ abnormal, whether you like it or not, you're a demigod-"

"No. I'm not. Demi means half. I am more than half a god." She felt the chain slide through her fingers. She held it loosely now. "I don't know if I want to wear it."

"We need to figure out how to get to the island in the middle of Lake Erie. If you put that on, you could use your magic to get us there."

Emmaleigh thought it over.

"Fine." Taking a deep breath, she put it around her neck.

She felt like something had unraveled in her chest. Energy coursed through her veins and fire tingled at the tips of her fingers. She felt magic everywhere, in her hair, in the ground, in the trees, in the sky. It came off in droves from Annabeth and herself.

"How could I have lived all this time without it?" She fingered the necklace, deciding not to take it off. "I feel...so alive."

"You look better, too. So do you have any ideas?"

Emmaleigh rubbed her hands together. "I could part the water. I could transform us into birds so we can fly there. I could make us so big that all we'd have to do is take a step."

"I think the bird idea is best." Annabeth looked a little worried at the suggestions. Emmaleigh laughed, but didn't take it back. She could do those things, if she had to.

"Brace yourself." She grabbed Annabeth's shoulders and sent the magic into her. She felt Annabeth change under her, until she became a bird. She was slender, with long wings. A swallow. Emmaleigh changed herself too, become a swift. As if they had the same mind, they launched off the ground in unison and flew quickly and steadily to the island.


	12. Chapter 12

I got the upcoming Greek (the fire spell) from Wikipedia. I used Google Translate to get the phonetic translation so you could actually read it. Not sure how accurate it was, so sorry if it's wrong. (It probably is.) Anyway, happy reading!**  
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**Chapter Twelve: The War to Come**

After fifteen minutes of fast flying, they reached the island. The two landed and Emmaleigh changed them back into humans.

The island was pretty small, and surrounded by dense fog. Emmaleigh supposed that was the Mist. In the center, was a towering rock formation. Annabeth walked up to it and found a small entrance.

"Through here." She crouched down. Emmaleigh followed her through.

The inside was much bigger than the outside (Emmaleigh recognized it as magic). It was totally hollow. Parallel to the small entrance was a throne formed of rock. Atop was the ugliest creature Emmaleigh had ever seen.

It had papery skin, pale and waxen, like the color of medieval candlesticks. It had a round face, with two narrow eyes, a pointy nose, and a thin line for a mouth. It wore a huge leather jerkin and stretched, yellow trousers. Belted to it's waist was a huge battleaxe. Floating above his head, like some sort of halo, were the golden laurels.

"Who enters the realm of Enceladus?" His voice was deep and commanding. But Emmaleigh, at first, had thought he said enchiladas, which ruined the effect his voice had. She doubled over, trying hard not to laugh.

"We are Annabeth and Emmaleigh, daughters of Athena, here to retrieve the golden laurels."

Enceladus frowned, "My spirits did not break you?"

"Athena does not lose easily. Thus, she does not lose herself easily to madness."

"Nor does Nike, but her child died at your hand." He retorted. Annabeth closed her mouth.

"Why have you taken the laurels?" Emmaleigh asked.

"To divide the gods. Nike verses Athena. Victory against battle strategy. They cannot live apart, it would be a war fiercer than any other. And while they fight, while Olympus is weakened, another war would take place. The rise of the Giants. The earth is awakening."

"Yet look at you, there is little life in you. You could die so easily. So where is your protection? I admit, the laurels might grant you the ability of victory, but we could so easily take them."

"My protection." His teeth glinted, sharp and white. "My protection are my slaves... the kobalos"

The _woosh_ing of a thousand winds filled the cave. Suddenly, fifty creatures filled the cave. They were peculiar, short like garden gnomes with wispy, gray bodies. They had nimble fingers and wore what appeared to be hunter green tunics. Their eyes were large like an owls, varying in color from gold to gray to green. All of them had a strange, twisted smile, like a mischievous little troll.

"You may attack," Enceladus said lazily. They jumped forward, chattering like rabid squirrels.

Emmaleigh thrust forward a hand. Instantly, an invisible wall appeared between them and the kobalos. Emmaleigh glared at the giant.

"You know," He mused thoughtfully, "you might not need a god to defeat me."

"Of course not." Emmaleigh sighed. "You haven't been fully risen from the earth. We do not need to defeat you as they did in the olden days."

"You can defeat me now," Enceladus replied, "but I will return."

"I believe you. Polemikón pýr."

Enceladus screamed. At her words, he was covered in green fire. He writhed in pain, but he could do nothing to stop it. The kobalos, who obviously hated their master, did nothing but stand still and chatter excitedly. In three minutes flat, he was burned to ashes. The ashes dissolved into the rock hard floor as if it were quicksand. At this, the kobalos disappeared.

"He will come back." Annabeth said, looking worried.

"That doesn't matter, he left the laurels." Emmaleigh summoned them from the rock throne with magic. As soon as her hands touched it, she and Annabeth were transported away.

To Olympus.


	13. Chapter 13

First FanFiction ever, completed! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did while I was writing it. Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter Thirteen: One Alone Will Walk**

The two demigods appeared to be in a throne room. It was massive, bigger than any gymnasium, museum, or warehouse she had ever been to. Four pillars stood in each corner of the room, upholding the high golden ceiling. They walked forward on golden tile.

Twelve gods sat in a U-shape. At the head was Zeus, with his ashen grey hair and eyes, in a pinstripe suit. His eyes flashed like lightning when they arrived. Next to him was a woman in red silks, her auburn hair piled elegantly atop her head. She wore a golden circlet and her eyes were pale green and dangerous. Hera.

It seemed almost all the other gods were present, including, Emmaleigh noticed, Athena. The only ones missing were Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, and Dionysus. She noticed a small girl standing _in the fire of the hearth_, wearing an orange dress with her golden hair braided down her back. The girl simply smiled and waved. "Hestia." Annabeth whispered, noticing where Emmaleigh was looking. There was another goddess with waist-length red-gold hair, clear blue eyes, and wide, white wings, like an angel.

"Lady Nike, I return to your your golden laurels, stolen by the giant Enceladus." Annabeth said bravely, stepping forward, the golden laurels in her hand. They were quite big, about three of Emmaleigh's hands. Nike raised her eyebrows.

"The giants are returning," Emmaleigh said, "As I believe Athena has told you. Gaia, their mother, is awakening." She then explained the giant's weak plan.

"I believe that he knew that war would not occur, he was too clever for that." She finished, "I think that he knew all along he would fail, but just to prove to us that they would come back."

Nike was the first to reply, "I admit, I was foolish to accuse Athena and Annabeth so readily...but there was something compelling me. I don't know how to describe it. Even now, I see what I did was not at all intelligent. Enceladus is right, war will soon be upon us. But where is my daughter Penelope? I thought I had sent her with you."

Tears prickled in Emmaleigh's eyes as she explained. When she finished, Nike looked sad.

But not as sad as Emmaleigh thought a mother should look. She did not weep as Emmaleigh had.

"War will be upon us soon. Victory will be hard-sought." She simply said. Then she turned and left the throne room.

"We most decided what to do with the heroes, now." Athena said. "If Annabeth is to return to Camp Half-Blood, we cannot have her speaking of the giants."

"Why not?" Emmaleigh demanded, before Annabeth could speak. "We must warn them, so we can be prepared!"

"No. The gods have their own plans."

"We could wipe her memory." It was Poseidon who spoke. He had the same eyes as Percy, and hair just as dark. His face was tan, as if he'd spent years at sea. A murmur of consent swept through the room, or so Emmaleigh thought it would be if they had been the same size as the gods on their thrones.

"No." Emmaleigh snapped. They turned to her. Emmaleigh was angry, angry at their stupidity. "Just make her swear on the Styx not say anything about Enceladus until the giants are known to the demigods, as they will be in time. It's simpler."

"She could still give things away." Athena pointed out. Emmaleigh glared.

"You don't even care about the well-being of your daughter?" She did not yell, her voice was low and every word was hard.

But to her relief, they voted on her idea. Zeus stood. "Annabeth, daughter of Athena, do you swear on the River Styx not to speak of the upcoming war with the giants, Enceladus, the reawakening of Gaia, or any events concerning this?"

"I swear." Annabeth replied.

"Good." Emmaleigh said, Zeus looked surprised that she had spoken. "Now what about me? Why just Annabeth?"

Athena and Zeus exchanged a glance. Athena spoke first, "We have decided that it is too dangerous for you to walk this earth as a demigod."

Emmaleigh frowned, as she took a long pause. "So what are you going to do? Kill me?"

"We have not yet decided." She responded, carefully.

"Well, I have a suggestion." Annabeth said, her eyes flitting quickly to Emmaleigh and then to her mother. "Make her a goddess, and immortal. She practically is one already. Then, you will have her allegiance. Forever."

The gods began to talk, but now in Ancient Greek. Emmaleigh cursed her lack of understanding. Annabeth, she knew, understood, but her sister's face was blank.

"We have decided that we will give Emmaleigh a choice. Emmaleigh, will you choose death or will you choose immortality?"

Emmaleigh's heart raced. From what she had seen and what she remembered from stories from her religions courses, Emmaleigh did not particularly like the gods. They were so sinful and corrupt, not much better than the Titans. But this, this _could_ be her chance to purify them. Did she want to live forever with them?

She took a breath, "I accept immortality." _Look away, Annabeth_, she thought to her sister. Annabeth turned.

Emmaleigh felt herself burn, she burned as she never had before. Fire encased her and yet it did not hurt. She was wrapped in golden light. She felt magic that was not so enter her blood, extending her life. It did other things to her, things she did not know of. Yet, when it was all over, she had something the others did not have. But that was her secret, for now.

Now she was tall as the others, dressed in a sleeveless white gown. Her hair was longer and darker, plaited with care. Her face and limbs were flawless and she felt grace in them she did not have before. She wore the pendant Hecate had given her around her neck.

"My sphere of influence," She said, "is white magic." Her eyes found Hecate. She could feel the difference between her and herself. And instantly, she hated Hecate. Hecate who could summon the dead and demons, who could do awful things. Things that she, Emmaleigh, could never do. And Emmaleigh knew that for the eternity she lived, she would be enemies, for they were true and total opposites.

"I will send you back, Annabeth." Instantly, Annabeth began to glow. _Make sure they build a cabin for me at Camp Half-Blood_.

With that, her ties to mortality were gone.


End file.
